Basic Training

	Agility Foundations: Co-ordination and Balance Good co-ordination and balance are absolutely essential for agility dogs. Some dogs are born with it; others develop it as they learn about agility. But what about the ones that find it more difficult? Hannah Banks has some suggestions for teaching it to your dog.
	Agility - Fun The Hobday Way: Steps for Obstacle Training (Vol. 2) Agility is fun...if it's not raining. Mary Ann Nester takes a fresh look at Ruth Hobday's latest do-it-yourself manual for agility handlers and instructors.
	Agility - Fun The Hobday Way: Agility Training for Puppies (Vol. 1) 'Oh yeah, I know all about that book,' a friend responded when I mentioned I was reading the new Ruth Hobday book to review. "Well... it's got jump squares in it, right?'
	Agility Tricks Tricks, and the process of teaching them, can be great tools for enhancing agility training and performance. They encourage creativity, and because they are different, interesting, and fun, improve attention. Helen Walland reviews Donna Duford's new book. (13/03/00)
	Bud Houston's Basic Handler Moves In The States, agility people make frequent reference to various handling movements. Bud Houston, a popular American trainer, has produced a video of demonstrating some of the better known moves using his Sheltie Bogie. Compare them to your way of handling. (30/04/00)
	Directionals: Flyer's Training Diary For quite some time American Sandy Birdsall had debated with herself about teaching directional commands to her Border Collie. She could think of lots reasons why not to bother, mostly to due with the fact that she's mildly dyslexic. In the end, she decided to give it a try. This is the diary she wrote (with Agilitynet in mind) while she was training her dog Flyer to do rights and lefts. (1 March 2001)
	Dog Fights Following an incident at Club, Tim Griffiths went to the Internet to research dog fights. He shares the information he found on how to stop dog fights as well as what to do to prevent them in the first place. Essential reading for all handlers. One day it could happen to you.
	Go the Distance A practical agility workbook which outlines a week by week programme for teaching the basics of distance work by two of the top American instructors, Bud Houston and Stacy Peardot. Including lesson plans and exercises. Reviewed by Bill McLaughlin. (22/01/03)
	Harness Training Australians Maisie Griffiths and Jennifer Hendriks share their experiences and some techniques they used to introduce their new dogs to agility using a harness and long-line. With video explanations. (20/05/04)
	How to... Teach Dog Agility Obstacles A manual designed to help you start training in a way that should avoid many of the pitfalls that many newcomers experience by one of the founders of the sport of dog agility. Reviewed by Audrey Rogers. (15/05/03)
	In Praise of Praise In training we are told to reward our dogs after every run but how often do we forget the handler? People need praise, too.
	Long Distance Handling Anyone who has seen Chris Kurzfeld and her dog Tegan on an agility course marvels at their partnership. When Chris realised she was not going to be able to 'run' with her dog, she decided to teach Tegan to work away. Here is the story of how she did it. (25/01/05)
	Teaching Newbies There is more to teaching agility than getting a dog to go over a jump. Experienced instructor Alison Renwick say that teaching 'new' beginner handlers and their dogs can be tough but rewarding. (28/06/02)
	To Wait or Not to Wait Compared with some of the complex things we demand of our dogs, achieving a wait on the start line seems a relatively simple thing and yet is one which causes anxiety in both dog and handler, often resulting in frustration and failure. Nancy Hudson explains her method for training reliable waits. (21/05/03)
	Which Dog: Choosing a Dog for Competition Which dog should you get for Agility? It's a very big question which may have a big impact on your life. Top handler Nicola Garrett explains her philosophy on picking out a new dog. (31/01/00)

Basic Training

Contents